What Nature Makes One Think

Man is a being whom Allah furnishes with the faculty of thought. Yet, most people do not use this very important faculty as they should. In fact, some people almost never think.

In truth, each person possesses a capacity for thought of which even he himself is unaware. Once man begins to use this capacity, facts he has not been able to realise until that very moment begin to be uncovered for him. The deeper he goes in reflection, the more his capacity to think improves, and this is possible for everyone. One just has to realise that one needs to reflect and then to strive hard.

In the Qur'an, Allah informs us that in all circumstances the believers reflect and derive beneficial conclusions from their thinking.

In the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day, there are signs for people with intelligence: those who remember Allah, standing, sitting and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: "Our Lord, You have not created this for nothing. Glory be to You! So safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire." (Surat Al 'Imran: 190-191)

Allah's Messenger (saas) also often reminded believers the importance of pondering and remembering Allah: Abu Musa reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: "The house in which remembrance of Allah is made and the house in which Allah is not remembered are like the living and the dead." (Muslim)

It is reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: "Shall I not tell you the best of your deeds, and those that give you the highest rank, and those that are the purest with your King, and are better for you than giving gold and silver,?" They said, "Of course." He said, "Remembrance (dhikr) of Allah ta ala.' (Abu Dawud)

However, someone who does not think will remain totally distant from truths and lead his life in self-deception and error. As a result, he will not grasp the purpose of the creation of the world, and the reason for his existence on the earth. Yet, Allah has created everything with a purpose. This fact is stated in the Qur'an as follows:

We did not create the heavens and the earth and everything between them as a game. We did not create them except with truth but most of them do not know it. (Surat ad-Dukhan: 38-39)

Did you suppose that We created you for amusement and that you would not return to Us? (Surat al-Muminun: 115)

And He has made everything in the heavens and everything on the earth subservient to you. It is all from Him. There are certainly Signs in that for people who reflect.
(Qur'an, 45:13)

Those who are able to see Allah's signs, the miraculous aspects of the beings and events He creates, and who, therefore, can understand, are people who reflect. Such people can derive conclusions from everything, big or small, they see around them. The Prophet Muhammad's words make this very clear:

"Fear Allah, for He is the one Who sets right all that concerns you. Recite the Qur'an and keep remembering Allah, for you will be remembered in the heavens, and it will be light for you on the earth." (Narrated by Ahmad bin hanbal.)

An example to this is nature that surrounds us. He who believes in Allah praises our Lord for the beauties he sees in nature. He is aware that Allah has created all existing beauty. He knows that all these beauties belong to Allah and they are manifestations of His attribute of jamal—beauty. He takes great pleasure from all these beauties and remembers Allah knowing that "If people sit in an assembly in which they do not remember Allah or invoke blessings on the Prophet (saas), it will be a cause of grief to them on the Day of Resurrection," as Allah's Messenger (saas)says. (Tirmidhi)

And mankind and beasts and livestock are likewise of varying colours. Only those of His servants with knowledge have fear of Allah. Allah is Almighty, Ever-Forgiving. (Qur'an, 35:28)

While walking in nature, one encounters more beauty. From a single straw to the yellow daisy, from birds to ants, everything is full of details, which need reflection. As people reflect upon these, they come to understand the power and might of Allah.

Butterflies, for example, are very aesthetically pleasing creatures. With the symmetry and design of their lace-like wings—which are extremely precise as if drawn by hand—their harmonious, phosphorescent colours, butterflies are evidence of Allah's unequalled art and superior power of creation.

Similarly, innumerable plant and tree varieties on earth are among the beauties Allah creates. Flowers, all in different colours and trees of different forms, have been created and among their purposes is that they give great pleasure to people.

One who has faith thinks about how flowers such as the rose, violet, daisy, hyacinth, carnation, orchid and others have such smooth surfaces, and how they come out of their seed completely flat without any puckers as if ironed.

He Who created and moulded;
He Who determined and guided;
He Who brings forth green pasture...
(Qur'an, 87: 2-4)

Other wonders Allah creates are the fragrances of these flowers. A rose, for instance, has a strong and constant ever-changing smell. Even with the latest technology, scientists cannot develop an exact match of the smell of the rose. Laboratory research to imitate this smell has not yielded satisfactory results. Smells produced based on the scent of the rose are generally heavy and disturbing. However, the original scent of the rose does not disturb.

Someone who has faith knows that each one of these is created for him to praise Allah, to present him the art and knowledge of Allah in the beauty He creates. For this reason, when someone sees this beauty while strolling in the garden, he glorifies Allah, saying, "It is as Allah wills, there is no strength but in Allah" (Surat al-Kahf: 39). He remembers that Allah has put all this beauty at the service of mankind and that He will give the believers incomparably excellent blessings in the hereafter. He takes more pleasure in the beauties he sees than everyone else, because as Allah's Messenger (saas) said, "People will not sit in an assembly in which they remember Allah without the angels surrounding them, mercy covering them, and Allah mentioning them among those who are with Him."' (Muslim) And because of all this, his love for Allah increases ever more.

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